The Balls' first press conference in Lithuania got very awkward
Of all of the Ball brothers, LiAngelo is the one who gets the least attention. He is the middle child, after all, and doesn’t have the NBA skills that Lakers first-round pick Lonzo has or the NBA potential that LaMelo possesses.
It took his embarrassing shoplifting arrest during UCLA’s trip to China for people to really know his name, and they knew it for all of the wrong reasons.
Well, LiAngelo finally became the center of attention during the Balls’ introductory press conference in Lithuania.
In addition to the rudimentary questions he got about basketball, LiAngelo also was on the receiving end of a full-court press from one female reporter.
“Do you have a girlfriend?” asked the reporter.
LiAngelo was caught off-guard by the question and sheepishly said, “I just came here to play,” while glancing at his left to his father for apparent guidance.
After some moments of awkward laughter by LiAngelo and everyone else in attendance, the reporter followed up, “So yes or no?”
“No comment,” LiAngelo replied while LaMelo nearly fell out of his seat.
The reporter works for LNK GO, an online television network. ESPN’s Jeff Goodman was on hand for the press conference and captured a picture of the reporter, Evelina Pavliukovic.
This is Evelina Pavliukovic — who just stole the show in this news conference when she asked out LiAngelo. She works for KK2 from LNK TV. pic.twitter.com/lzDUzagSyt
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) January 5, 2018
The entire Ball family is in Lithuania with the exception of Lonzo. The boys’ outspoken father, LaVar, and their mother, Tina, plan to stay in Lithuania for at least six weeks.
LiAngelo and LaMelo are set to play the rest of the season for Prienai-Birstonas Vytautas. The team currently has a 4-11 record and sits in eighth place in a 10-team league. But the top eight teams advance to the playoffs, so it appears that LiAngelo and LaMelo have a better shot at the postseason than Lonzo does with the Lakers.
“The plan is for them to be here until the end of May or June,” LaVar said. “Hopefully they make the playoffs.”
The Balls are also filming their Facebook Watch reality show “Ball in the Family,” which means lots of extra cameras and microphones are around. The show has received generally good reviews, but that doesn’t mean the Balls’ new teammates care to be a part of the action.
Vytautas G Tomas Dimsa on being a part of Ball Family reality show in Prienai: "Nothing good at all. What can I tell… You're practicing surrounded by 100 cameras. What's the point? We have to prepare for the game, but now we have to answer all these questions." #TheRealMVP
— Donatas Urbonas (@Urbodo) January 5, 2018
We don’t know how much the Balls will play in Lithuania or even if they’ll be worth watching. But this is shaping up to be an entertaining endeavor, one way or another.
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